Flogging the 135 or 128 - which is more fun?

[NFexec]

I currently own an E93 (335 vert) and love this engine... it's an automatic and I use the sport mode and paddles (and manually use the gearshift) quite a lot. It stays in D when I'm lazy or in bumper to bumper stuff. Otherwise, I'm rowing or paddling as much as one can without a clutch.

The thing is, and I am considering a 1-series convertible for my next car and will probably get the manual tranny. I am thinking that with the 135, I'd be getting into ticket and jail time if I really push it, but the 128 (while not slouch of course) would probably rev higher and not be quite as fast, but have more feeling of speed due to the ability to turn higher revs at less speed. To me, that SEEMS like more fun.... but maybe I'm wrong.

You know - the old "it's more fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow" mentality. SO - whaddya all think? Again - I know how sublime and rocket-like the dual turbo setup is, and I also know how quick it gets well past the speed limit.

As a clue - my other car is a Miata (manual tranny). I take it up to redline or close to it pretty often, and don't flirt (too much) with jail time... but could if I pushed it more. It's no e93, but its tossable and fun.

Thoughts? Your experiences?

Thanks

Doug

[lib]

Yep. You have to actually use the right gears in a 128i and you're able to stay on the power a little longer. It can be a lot of fun.

Definitely make a point of trying both cars in manual and decide from there. Some people (I'm sure you'll hear from them in this thread) will always insist on the biggest engine - if you're not one of those people you may love the 128i manual.

[new2the3]

You currently have the 335i engine, are you fine with the lesser power of the 128i? As far as reving out the engines and miles per hour, it really does not matter if you get a 135i or 128i. Lets say you redline first and second gear, you will be going about 60mph in both cars, only you will get there quicker in the 135i. With the 135i manual you don't have to do a lot of downshifting around town or on the highway which is nice.

[dbtheo]

Why? BECAUSE of the smaller engine. The chassis & feel of the car is so good, when you are driving a 135, you tend to forget about the rest of the car & focus on the engine. Where in the 128i, you actually do focus and enjoy the car more as a whole. It engages you more, by encouraging you to row the gears & test the handling to get the most out of it. It's as fun at 25mph as it is at 100mph.

[HeyMoe53]

Well said, dbtheo. Though, there is no bad choice here, don't you think?

[SlickShift]

I'll let you know how it is going from a car where you really need to be in the right gear (325Ci) and moving to the 135. Even though the M54 in the 325Ci is far from powerful, it's such a fun engine because you always have to keep it revving high.

[JTdrivin1]

i love my 128i, and am glad i didn't get the 135i. i had a 335i as a loaner once, and i couldn't keep it under 100mph. for the spirited driving i enjoy, it just had too much power and got way over the speed limit way too quick. for a DD where you want to have some fun on your commute, without being jailed, you can't go wrong with a 128i.

[Monterra]

+1 the 135 isn't reasonably safe to really flog with all that power. For me with my driving habits and where drive most it was like asking for a pile of tickets or worse.

Originally Posted by JTdrivin1

i love my 128i, and am glad i didn't get the 135i. i had a 335i as a loaner once, and i couldn't keep it under 100mph. for the spirited driving i enjoy, it just had too much power and got way over the speed limit way too quick. for a DD where you want to have some fun on your commute, without being jailed, you can't go wrong with a 128i.

[dbtheo]

Originally Posted by HeyMoe53

Well said, dbtheo. Though, there is no bad choice here, don't you think?

no bad choice at all, I'd happily drive (& flog) either



guess it just comes down to preference. For some more power is more fun

[Tom K.]

[quote=lib;4824803]Yep. You have to actually use the right gears in a 128i and you're able to stay on the power a little longer. It can be a lot of fun.[quote]
+1. Even though they both redline at 7,000, the 128i peaks at 6,500 and the 135i at 5,800.

So since the 128i is approximately 1 second slower from 0~60, and since we all normally accelerate to 60 with full throttle at least 10 times per day, 6 days per week (!), then the 135i drivers are all saving a bit less than an hour per year.

What are you guys doing with all that extra time?
Tom

[bimmerfile]

[QUOTE=Tom K.;4829093]

Originally Posted by lib

.................................................. .....and since we all normally accelerate to 60 with full throttle at least 10 times per day, 6 days per week (!), then the 135i drivers are all saving a bit less than an hour per year.

What are you guys doing with all that extra time?
Tom

I'm guessing that if someone is accelerating a 135i full throttle 10 times per day, 6 days per week (3,120 per year), that the extra hour saved will be spent at the tire shop replacing the worn rubber with a new set of shoes..

[timhatimay]

135i!!

To be fair, I haven't driven the 128i (but I have driven a manual 328i), and of course my 135. All of the issue mentioned above just mean you have to have some self control. You don't have to go WOT or put the gas pedal to the floor at every stop light. You can drive perfectly spirited and fun without going way too fast, but it is nice to have the option. Revving the engine isn't a fair comparison either, because except for some gearing differences, red-lining in second gear is still at or above most legal limits no matter what car (and how fast you got there). Both are excellent choices tho, and you should drive both...then you will know the answer!

Tim

[G5Ti]

They're both awesome cars.

But I do love my 128, and I have no regrets after many thousands of miles. One of my reasons for choosing the 128 was exactly what you state: I can drive it a higher percentage of its potential while not killing others or risking jail time.

As for which is more fun? It depends entirely on your definition of "fun." I'd guess that, fo rabout 80-85% of 1addicts, it's the brute force of the N54. For the remaining 15-20% of us, it's the slightly lighter balance and higher [necessary] involvement in the 128.

[HeyMoe53]

I agree--it would be a very good idea to drive both the 128, and the 135, then decide.

I guess I'll have plenty of time soon to do that, since I handed in my letter of retirement today, effective May 29 : )

Excuse me while I crack another Sierra Nevada...

[TagMan]

Originally Posted by HeyMoe53

I agree--it would be a very good idea to drive both the 128, and the 135, then decide.

I guess I'll have plenty of time soon to do that, since I handed in my letter of retirement today, effective May 29 : )

Excuse me while I crack another Sierra Nevada...

Are congratulations in order? If so, CONGRATULATIONS!



TM

[TagMan]

Two weeks ago, I rented a 328 Steptronic in Los Angeles.

The power from the non-turbo is impressive. The difference in HP isn't as profound as is the difference in torque, IMO. But, keeping the revs up really does the trick and I could imagine that a 128i with a stick could actually be a whole lot of fun. It would likely require more frequent shifting than the 135i with it's low-end grunt... but frankly, that's why I prefer a stick anyway... cause I just love rowing through the gears.

I must admit, however, that I am highly addicted to rapid acceleration, so that is why I had to go with the 135i.

So... drive 'em both, and get the one that offers the most driving pleasure.



TM

[gizmo]

I'll chime in and agree with most everyone thus far, in recommending that you drive both and then make your choice.

I will say that I always have more fun driving slower cars fast than I do trying to drive fast cars to their potential. I have a 135 and it is a blast to drive quickly, however, in some regard it can be hard to enjoy really "driving" it due to the fact that there is quite a bit of power there and it can really bite you.

I'm not sure a 128 fits my classification as a slower car though, it is still plenty quick to get yourself into trouble. '89 Ford Rangers, early 90's Mazda 626s, ect... are a better example of what I'd consider "slower."

[Artmasterx]

I have a 128i manual and love it. I also test drove a 135i manual and drove an auto 135i at the performance center delivery.

I will say that it would be nice to have 30-50 more Ft-lbf of torque, but you certainly don't NEED it. Around town 2nd gear will get you going as fast as you need to go quickly, and 3rd gear on the highway will do the same.

The main place you will probably notice differences in everyday driving are:
1. shifting more (already mentioned)
2. having to keep the RPMs high when you want to accelerate (this is where more torque would be nice... but downshifting is fun anyway)
3. passing at highway speed (e.g. 50-70 mph). You can still do it fast, but you must be in the right gear.
4. 6th gear is weak. It's fine for minor speed changes on the highway with traffic, but don't expect much more.
5. 5th gear is fine at basic highway speed maneuvering
6. 4th gear will get you in an out of lanes as quick as you need at highway speed (Autobahn probably excluded)

As you can tell, most of these boil down to torque. Maybe some inexpensive mods/tuning will become available to get us more torque, but nothing reputable and cheap yet.

2nd and 3rd gears are really the meat of the car and can be a lot of fun. I think 3rd gets you up to about 90 mph, so you can certainly get illegal pretty quickly in the 128i as well.

I just found these at Car and Driver for the 128i vert. The coupe will be faster since it is 200 lbs lighter, but you can see the real difference is 0-100 mph time and the 1/4 mile is probably 2 seconds slower than a stock 135i. These don't resemble real driving conditions as much though.

============================
Power (SAE net): 230 bhp @ 6500 rpm
Torque (SAE net): 200 lb-ft @ 2750 rpm

TRANSMISSION: 6-speed manual

DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 104.7 in Length: 172.2 in Width: 68.8 in Height: 55.6 in
Curb weight: 3492 lb

C/D TEST RESULTS:
Zero to 60 mph: 6.2 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 17.3 sec
Zero to 130 mph: 36.6 sec
Street start, 5–60 mph: 7.1 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 14.9 sec @ 94 mph
Top speed (governor limited): 145 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 166 ft
Roadholding, 200-ft-dia skidpad: 0.88 g
==================

Also from C/D but for a coupe (slightly better times):
"The 128i saves not only money but also weight. Our 3197-pound car was 223 pounds lighter than the 135i we tested, with a more even front-to-rear weight distribution as well. And it certainly feels plenty powerful, with 0-to-60-mph acceleration happening in 5.8 seconds and the quarter-mile in 14.5 at 96 mph. Both those times are 0.3 second quicker than a 328i."

[new2the3]

I should also mention that my previous 2006 330i had the lowest hp/tq of the cars I have owned. So for me I did not want to go down even further in the power department, 135i was the only choice.

[cagekicker]

the power of the 135 is addictive as hell. gotta have it!

[Double Nick]

Originally Posted by HeyMoe53

I agree--it would be a very good idea to drive both the 128, and the 135, then decide.

I guess I'll have plenty of time soon to do that, since I handed in my letter of retirement today, effective May 29 : )

Excuse me while I crack another Sierra Nevada...

HeyMoe,
Congrats on closing in on retiring. I retired from the Army 22 yrs ago, retired from the State of Florida 3 years ago, started Social Security this year--and guess what?--my wife still has me working part time. I tell folks retirement isn't all it is cracked up to be--but--I wouldn't trade with anybody. Enjoy your journey. Nick

[thesmokingone]

if your looking for something to red line in traffic maybe neither of these cars is the best choice. dont get me wrong they are both awesome cars (although i have only driven the 128 in auto form) you could always go the route of the r32/wrx/mini cooper s which you would would be more inclined to rev imo.